Minister for Police and Emergency Services; Community Safety; Water Resources; Sport and Recreation

Minister welcomes road safety recommendations

7/08/2008 12:00 AM

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Community Safety Minister John Kobelke has today thanked the Road Safety Council for its work in developing a draft strategy to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Western Australian roads over the next 12 years.

The recommendations, together with the first recommended three-year action plan, will initially progress through a Ministerial Council for Road Safety and will then go to Cabinet.

Mr Kobelke said ‘Towards Zero 2008-2020’ was a comprehensive report that would be carefully considered by the State Government.

“In developing their recommendations, the Road Safety Council has undertaken extensive consultation, which has included feedback from more than 4,000 community members and up to 50 parliamentarians through the bipartisan Parliamentary Reference Group,” he said.

“Currently, and throughout this comprehensive process, important road safety functions are continuing through the Arriving Safely strategy, including enforcement, infrastructure programs, behavioural campaigns, community education, training in schools, policy development and research.

“This Government currently has the opportunity to develop and implement a

world-class road safety strategy that is based on evidence, research and world’s best practice and is supported by the WA community.”

The Minister praised the work of retiring Road Safety chairman Grant Dorrington and said his 11-year term had produced significant outcomes for road safety in WA.

“Grant has made significant progress in bringing together all the different agencies that have a role to play in road safety,” he said.

“Thanks to his efforts and leadership of the council, we have seen a reduction in the number of fatalities on our roads. Between 1998 and 2000, through a number of road safety initiatives, there were 225 fewer deaths compared with the number of fatalities in previous years.

“Grant has created robust debate on road safety in the community, ensuring it remained an important issue and I thank him for his contribution and commitment to the role.”

The Office of Road Safety will lead the recruitment process to select the next independent chairperson of the Road Safety Council based on the skills necessary to fulfil all aspects of this high profile and key role for WA.

Following a call for expressions of interest, the Minister will receive a recommendation on suitable candidates for consideration prior to making an appointment.

Mr Kobelke said he was keen to appoint the new chairperson as soon as possible, to ensure that they were involved in the implementation of the new Road Safety Strategy from its inception.